Restoration of Voting Rights - Calling on Governor Steve Beshear

Our campaign to restore voting rights to former felons is focused primarily on passing a state constitutional  amendment (HB 70) to automatically restore voting rights to most former felons once they have served their prison time, probation, and parole.  

But there are a host of other strategies that we've used, from helping people through the existing pardoning process individually, to working to pass Federal-level legislation.

One alternative strategy that we're especially interested in pursuing for the rest of 2011 is putting pressure on Governor Steve Beshear to use his Executive powers to issue a blanket partial pardon, immediately restoring the right to vote to 120,000+ former felons who have already served their time. 

The downside to this strategy is that it would only apply to former felons who have already served their time right now.  It wouldn't help people in the future, so we'd want to pass the constitutional amendment, but this could be a huge victory in 2011. 

Now is a key time to do this, because whether Beshear wins or loses his election and November, it will be the last time he runs for Governor and he might feel more politically comfortable in making a move like this. 

It should be noted that Beshear has already made positive changes in the way that former felons can request restoration of voting rights from his office, eliminating many barriers like a processing fee and the need to write an essay.  We should tank him from streamlining the process, but it's critically important to our democracy that he take this larger step forward.

Please call or write Governor Beshear today!

Message: Please issue a blanket restoration of voting rights for former felons who have served their time. 

Mailing Address
700 Capitol Avenue, Suite 100
Frankfort, Kentucky 40601

Main Line: (502) 564-2611
Fax: (502) 564-2517
TDD: (502) 564-9551 (Telecommunications Device for the Deaf)

To send a message to Governor Beshear CLICK HERE.

P.S. - A key chance to talk to Beshear about this issue is at Fancy Farm on August 6th.  Let us know if you can join KFTC and our allies there.